As Rosey slept against the wall, a stray ray of sunshine managed to peak through the clouds ever so briefly and shined down on her and the mess of soil beside her. Almost instantly, something began to grow. The sunlight was beginning to fade, but the soil had a single seed inside of it. And that seed rapidly germinated and then grew out into a large plant with beady, black eyes, a large round mouth, and a large green head. when the sun disappeared, it had finished growing only a foot when it became aware of itself. It looked around the room seeing the messy, cluttered space with broken walls, vases, and furniture then stopped at the thing wrapped in a blanket sleeping next to it.
Rosey awoke to the sound of what she could only describe as someone playing the kazoo next to her ear. She opened her eyes softly then sat up and yawned. She had yet to notice she had company. Stretching and fixing her position so she could shake out the sore limbs and rub her chapped eyes, Rosey sat against the wall and took a deep breath. She was still feeling doomed because of her current predicament, but she at least managed to get rid of the ugly feelings she had kept inside. Now she was a bit more clear-minded. She heard that sound again. That kazoo or something.
Confused, Rosey looked to her right and there, sitting in the mess of soil and clutter she had made before, was a plant she couldn't identify, but was staring right at her. It kazooed at her again, almost like it just said hello. But she didn't realize it. she was more occupied with the fact it was moving and staring at her.
"AAAAAHHH!" She screamed loudly and crawled back. Staring at it, it seemed confused. She sat up and watched it move around. It looked this way ad that way. Looked at itself and at the window then at her.
She tried to get a closer look. But she wasn't sure it was safe. But she suddenly felt a bit of DeJa'Vu. Had she seen this thing before? She remembered the article she ripped up and then gathered the pieces. She put it together as best she could and spotted that very plant in the background of Crazy Dave's picture.
Rosey slowly looked up at the plant. It kazooed at her, trying to say something but she couldn't understand it. "I can't believe it…" It was real! It was all real! He did make mutated plants! It wasn't a scam at all…! Minus the fact it may very well not have worked. But here was the proof. This… sort of talking, moving plant looking around and trying to say something to her.
What was she to do? Say something back? Rosey stared at it then got a little closer. This little guy was smaller than the one in the picture. He was probably a foot tall! Pretty decent by plant standards. But anti-zombie standards? No wonder it didn't work.
Never mind that! What do I say to it!? She got cautiously close to it then waved at it a little. "Uh… hi little guy." It did a little kazoo song like it was talking again. "Uh… can you… understand me?" It nodded; she jumped back. It…nodded! "Okay… so… what are you exactly? A weed? Or a… vegetable plant or something?"
The little plant tried talking to her then suddenly shot out a green ball at the bed. It bounced off then plopped on the ground. By the looks of it, it had to be a pea.
"Oh… so you're a pea plant. Uh… peapod?" She chuckled. "A peashooter? Get it? You know, like… the slang?" She chuckled weakly at her joke. But the "peashooter" nodded. "Oh, okay then. You like that. So, you're a peashooter. Um… are you a… boy? A girl? Are all plants technically girls because of how they reproduce?" The peashooter shook its head and seemed a bit offended. "Oh… sorry. You're a boy?" It rolled its eyes bot it seemed to affirm her. "A boy?" It nodded again. "Okay, so you're a boy… I didn't know plants could be boys… or girls…" The peashooter tried talking again but only sounded like a kid with a kazoo. "Uh, look… I can't understand you. I'm trying to, but I can't. Listen, I'm in a lot of trouble right now. I'm stuck in a town full of zombies and…" The peashooter kazooed again excitedly but she went on. "… and I need to find a way out of town before they get me. I'm sorry about the mess and… that you're here. But I can't take you with me. You'd probably die. Your family couldn't even protect your…gardener…"
The peashooter looked sad. It did a sad and down-toning kazoo. She felt terrible. It was like telling a kid their parents were dead! This little guy didn't need to hear that. "I'm sorry, buddy. I didn't want to be that gal, but… it's the truth. Besides, I can't carry you. I don't have any way to get you out of this house, much less keep a bunch of soil with me to take care of you… As much as I want to." The little peashooter started to sniffle. Then it broke out into a cry. "Aw, don't be like that…" She couldn't do this. She couldn't leave this poor defenseless, and awfully sentient, plant by himself! He was just a kid! Alone! With no parents… or friends… or… anyone…
Rosey kneeled next to the peashooter as she looked down. No arms to wipe its tears. Hardly even a stem. He was helpless. Moreso than her… was she really going to leave him? Her memory brought her back to the moment she found that old man. After her first group, and watching them get their brains harvested, she had run into him while he was hunting. He turned her away at first, but… after crying a little, he took her in. Was she really going to just leave this little guy here? She couldn't! She just couldn't! He didn't leave her, so why should she leave this poor thing alone? Even if she might end up with her brains eaten out of her skull, she would have at least given this sentient plant a chance to live. That's more that he could hope to have here in this dark, sunless house with no water!
"Okay. Okay, I'm sorry. I… Listen, I'll figure something out. don't cry. I promise, I figure something out, okay? I promise." She dared to touch the peashooter. He looked up at her and she down on him and wiped away the watery substance from his eyes and… nose? Mouth? What was that horn on his face called? A Nozzle, maybe? She stuck with mouth. "Listen, we're going to stick together. You and me, okay?"
The peashooter agreed and kazooed an, "uh-huh," then gave her the closest things to a smile he could manage. His eyes said everything, even as his mouth remained still. She regretted promising him a way out of the house. How would she get him out? Maybe a vase was around? Or a pot? She broke most everything in that single room. She searched the house a managed to find a flower pot rather quickly.
"Here we go," She said as she knelt down next to him again. "I can put you in here and then use my bag to carry you. I've got a lot of stuff in here, so it might feel a bit… stuffy." The little peashooter didn't seem to mind. He was just excited to go with her. She scooped up all the soil she could and put it in the pot then, once she was satisfied, got ready to lift him out of the leftover soil pile. "Okay, now your turn. Ready?" The peashooter was bouncing in place. She lifted him up then seamlessly placed him in the pot. He looked happy there. "All done!" Rosey clapped her hands clean and wiped off the rest on her ruined hoody. What was left her bandana wiped off. "You look like a happy healthy plant now."
The peashooter kazooed and moved the little leaves at the base of his body in an almost dancelike fashion. It made Rosey giggle.
"Okay, before we go, let's see if there's anything left over to eat." Rosey picked up the flower pot then carried it over to the kitchen. With the power out, she didn't trust anything in the fridge. So, she checked pantries and cabinets. There wasn't anything except plant products. Soil, plant food; some tools. But there wasn't any food. "Well, buddy. It doesn't look like we have much to work with…" She sighed and sat at a table near the window. she could still see the zombies outside wandering around. They were probably looking for her still. Even with her new friend, she didn't see them making it very far before getting caught. Rosey sighed and looked at him.
"I just realized. You don't even have a name, do you?" The peashooter shook his head. Rosey giggled and gave him a big smile. "Well, if we're going to travel with each other, we might as well get to know each other, right? I'm Rosemary Mortimer… Although, people just call me Rosey. So! What should we call you?" She stared at the peashooter who watched her with a twinkle in his eye. "What about Peter? We can spell it like… Pea-ter. Funny, right?"
The peashooter shook his head and went on a tangent. Obviously he hated that name. "Okay, okay, maybe not. What about something unrelated to peas? Like… David?"
The peashooter shook his head again and started on another tangent. She scratched her head. "Okay, well… did you like the pea thing or…" He nodded and waited for her to give him another name. Rosemary sighed. "Okay, a name that starts with 'P.' Hmm… 'P'…"
This was harder than she thought. Usually, she could probably list off tons of names that started with the letter "P" but now she was drawing a blank. Her mind oddly drifted off to a book she read with Kate's group. Moby Dick. She thought about the characters in the book, but instead remembered the name of the ship they sailed upon.
"Okay how about this? Pequod?" The peashooter jumped and he immediately took ownership of the name. "Pequod? You like that?" He nodded feverously. "Great! Pequod…" She pointed at him. "Rosey." She pointed at herself. "It's nice to meet you, Pequod."
Pequod gave a another, "uh huh," with his kazoo sounding mouth, then both sat quietly.
The silence was awkward. Both of them looked out into the road of the now dubbed Zomburbia. "Well, now we just have to figure out how to skip town. Got any ideas?"
Pequod looked at the fridge where some pictures were then squinted at them like they had insulted him. Then drew his head back and spat out three peas that flew at blinding speeds. Rosey gasped and scooted back but she saw the three peas hit the fridge and even manage to break the door off its hinges. Pequod raised his head triumphantly. He had nailed the pictures hanging on the fridge but now the whole room stank of rancid leftovers.
"Eugh! Nice shot, but couldn't you have hit the cabinets instead or something? Pee-yoo!" She covered her nose but as soon as she saw what was inside, she noticed a bag of regular plant food that had permanent marker words: In case of emergency. She kept her nose covered and walked over to grab the bag. Looking over the bag, it wasn't much more except a regular bag of plant food. Of course, it hit her that Pequod, being a bit more sentient than the average plant, could probably get hungry about as often as she could. So, she opened up the small bag to find a Tupperware container with five small balls of what she could only guess was plant food.
"Well, buddy, at least one of us can eat." This Crazy Dave guy must have thought the same thing and saved this as emergency ration for his favorite plant or another. She opened the Tupperware and debated if she was supposed to feed him with his mouth or put it in his soil. Pequod seemed to know what to do. He bent over so she would insert it in his mouth. She put the ball in, and he swallowed the ball whole. It traveled down his stem then disappeared suddenly at the base of his plant body. Then he started to shake. "Pequod? Are you okay?" She asked a bit confused then worried as he started to rear his head back. "Uh, Pequod?"
Pequod was kazooing like his voice was some kind of engine powering up to go turbo. Then suddenly he started shooting peas out at machine guns speed. She had to cover her ears and duck as Pequod obliterated the house with his unending supply of peas. It didn't stop for a whole ten seconds at least! Rosey, having figured it was done by how silent it suddenly was. She lifted her head up and it clearly looked as if the house was ready to collapse. There was no way the zombies didn't hear that. Looking out the window, she knew she was right. But then she looked down at the Tupperware box and a smile grew on her face.
"Pequod…" Rosey took out her lucky bandana and tied her hair back. "I think we just found our way out!"
Tying her boot laces and preparing for their departure, Rosey opened her bag and placed Pequod inside then zipped up the bag just enough so he had wiggle room, but made sure he couldn't slip out. She made sure her boots were tightly laced so she could run. She found some duct tape so she could tape the sole back to her talking boot which would make things easier than last time's marathon. Tightening her backpack strap, and reinforcing it with the duct tape, then gave Pequod one last look.
"This is it, Pequod. I'm going to sneak around and try to get us out, but I'm going to need you to cover me… Can you do it?" Pequod gave her a nod. She took a deep breath then opened the door to go down the tree house. She was outside now. Ducking, she snuck her way to the right gate and took off her bag. "Okay, Pequod. Keep an eye out for them. I'll slip passed the bars in just a second."
Pequod looked around for her while she crawled over the gate bars and finally made it to the other side. Now out of the safety of the gated home, she swung over her backpack and began to run. The very first turn on the road she made; she already knew that they'd be in for a fight if they wanted to leave. A sizable group of zombies was waiting at there, for what, she couldn't say, but they immediately took noticed her.
"Braaaainz!" One pointed at her. Pequod immediately opened fire, taking one zombie out with a single shot. Its head fell clean off its shoulders. The others watched seemingly unphased then began their chant and ran after her.
"Shoot 'em, Pequod! Shoot 'em!" She ran the other way and Pequod got to work. Rosey kept running into more and more hordes. She was on so much adrenaline she had forgotten all her aches and pains. Rosey ran down an alley way and two football players jumped in front of her smashing their fists together. "Pequod, in front of us!"
Pequod's head snapped to the direction she was facing and trumpeted a war call before shooting twice. The peas hit at such a force that both football players got whiplash. She smirked then continued to run and jump over the football players. The other zombies just trampled or tripped over them.
Rosey had no idea where she was going. She only hoped that wherever it was, it wasn't going to make their situation worse. She eventually ran into a park that looked like it was set up for Halloween. She looked around, a bit confused, then looked at Pequod who probably didn't understand why she was so puzzled. "They're a little behind in decorations aren't they?"
"Braaaainzz!
"Oh shoot!" She started running again and stopped short when she ran into a big house where the lighting was striking repeatedly. It was tall, like a haunted mansion! She gulped. Then saw the gates open where another football player stood. She backed away. Somehow, this one was different. He snarled at her and seemed oddly composed, unlike his clumsy fellow zombies. In his hands was a machine with a bunch of footballs rotating on a wheel. He looked like he was chewing when he suddenly spat and aimed his large football cannon.
"Pequod…!" She shouted nervously. "Fire at that thing!"
She broke into another run as the footballs flew dangerously over her head and behind her. Pequod shot as many peas as he could, but couldn't get a good shot with Rosey's wiggling. He managed to land one into the football player's head causing him to stagger bag. He tried to shot another set of footballs but realized he had just ran out. He grunted in frustration then shouted back into the mansion yard.
Another zombie that looked like army man from the military came into view on the wall. He looked down at her then double took with a face of surprise. He had dropped his gun of some sort and barely recovered it only for it to click. Rosey took the chance to get further away. She was in absolute panic mode to discover that these things could actually use functioning weapons. She didn't want to learn what else they could manage the hard way. But unfortunate, the zombies were insistent she do.
The army zombie started shooting small pellets at her. She screamed and started running in a staggered zig-zag pattern. The football player was hot on her heels trying hard to fix his football launcher then finally got it to click. She started dodging footballs once more.
Pequod was overwhelmed. Trying hard to shoot hundreds of targets that could not only shoot back but swarm them and communicate. He was getting tired. Rosey heard what sounded like a sigh form him. "Stay with me, Pequod! I need you!" then she remembered. "The plant food!" She quickly out the plastic container then took one of the plant foods out. "Here!"
Unfortunately, she dropped both the container and the food when a large robot dropped in front of them. She looked up and her eyes popped nearly out of her skull. A tiny Zombie was cackling inside and aimed its robot gun at her. Pequod's kazooing snapped her out of her stupor. She quickly found the plant food then dove for it.
"Go!" She fed the plant food to Pequod, scrunched up in the fetal position, and he trumpeted a charge anthem then shot at the robot. Every zombie stopped as the peashooter unloaded several peas into it breaking it's machinery and then toppling it over. He then turned his head and with the short burst he had left, managed to vanquish the football player and the army zombie who had been tailing her.
She looked up and smiled. "Yes! Way to go Pequod!"
She looked back having heard something land behind her. She came face to face with a puffed chest and a spandex suite. She slowly traced her eyes up then saw the would-be-charming face if it weren't so zombie looking. It looked like a superhero, but that didn't comfort her any.
"You've got to be kidding me…" Pequod again shot a pea at the head of their interference. The superhero, who had be staring down at them heroically at first, was reduced to screaming for his eyes. Rosey took the opportunity to run.
A zombie in a lab coat ran up to the superhero and checked on him. The superhero recovered quickly and shook his head than assured the lab coat he was fine. Both ran after her with their horde hot on their heels.
Rosey had passed the townhall and was in a noticeably darker part of Suburbia. For now it seemed she was in the clear. She took advantage to catch her breath. She was so thirsty. Her throat was parched, and she had half a mind to suck out the sweat from her bandana. But there was no way that would work. Sweat was almost nothing but salt. She coughed and examined her surroundings. These houses looked very monster like. The cars trucks were too. She was trying to wrap her head around the idea that maybe the zombies were actually smart enough to be a civilization! But if all they ate were brains, how did they survive? Surly brains were a pretty short food supply. Afterall, they were working so hard just to get hers.
"Pequod...," She huffed, "None of this makes sense. You don't make sense, these zombies; this place! What is happening here?" Her breather was interrupted when she heard the Zombies chanting behind her again. And Pequod kazooed a warning. "Oh, come on! Do these things ever quit?"
She started running again. She turned left at a freeway and passed what looked like a playground. She turned out running into a nicer looking neighborhood but with the road barricaded, she realized she was cornered. She looked around for something to climb the barricade or the fence but this time she and Pequod were stuck for good. Running right or left wouldn't do any good. They were coming from that way too. They had her circled. She reached for the plant food but realized she had forgotten it when she gave Pequod that last one for the robot.
Pequod tried to better the situation, but he was just one peashooter and the sheer numbers of what they were facing would never thin out fast enough. She looked once more for something to climb and started to tear up. She tried to climb the barricade, but she had become so exhausted. She couldn't finish the climb. And dropped down against the barricade to catch her breath. Pequod was just as exhausted as she was. he couldn't shoot anymore.
Puffing for air, Rosey took off the backpack and leaned it up against the barricade. "We tried, Pequod. It's okay… thank you for your help." She hugged him close, and Pequod laid his head on her shoulder. She could hear them getting closer a slight hum in the background. They slowed down. She could hear the superhero flexing for some weird reason and another zombie cackling at her as it got closer. She turned her head and saw both of them approaching her with evil grins. The hum suddenly got louder. Soon it was loud enough that even the zombies stopped to listen. Soon it got very close to the sound of a plane.
The zombies, Rosey, and Pequod all looked up and there, Rosey had seen yet another thing to add to her list of things she couldn't believe were real. A giant corn on the cob with two propellers flew overhead and circled around to fire down kernels of corn at the horde. It smelled a lot like popcorn which made her stomach rumble loudly.
No later, she saw three cornstalks jump down and start firing a bunch of kernels at the horde. One of them threw what looked like a steaming hot potato. The cob of corn above saw the potato and started shooting several smaller cobs that blew up into a bunch of popcorn.
She couldn't believe what she was seeing. This had to all be a dream. She had to still be sleeping in Crazy Dave's house! This was too good to be true! One of them looked back at her and started talking out loud in drill sergeant mocking grunts. One of them turned around and ran towards her. "What're you just sittin' around like that for, missy! You gotta move! I thought we evacuated you humans last year! This is Zombie territ'try now!" Her eye nearly popped out of her skull for the third time today. Did an ear of corn just talk to her? "You can stare at me with 'em big ol' eyes later! Move it! We're getting' you outa here! You! Soldier! Don't just sit there with her in yer backpack. Fire, son! Fire!"
With newfound vigor, Pequod found enough strength to fire a few mor peas in support of some new friends. Rosey followed the talking cornstalk along with his two friends as the corn cob supported them. She tried to get herself to wake up from this dream, but every step she took, every ache she felt, the exhaustion she was under, had her convinced this was, in fact, very real.
"Carson! Take the left flank!" The cornstalk shouted at a brown corn with aluminum wrapped around its body. "Booker! Push us fo'rd and cut us a path! Hut hut!"
The corns replied with a tough. "Hoo!"
A cornstalk with camouflage started shouting in a war cry as it shot the charging zombies and cleared their path. They stopped in front of Crazy Dave's home fence. "Al'raht, hold position! Blackhusk one, this is Barbeque Charlie, ready f'r e-vacuation, over!" The talking Cornstalk dropped his empty cobs and fit knew ones on his stalks-for-hands. He watched one spin then gave it a satisfied nod when he looked forward. "Copy that! We'll manage 'til then, but make it fast! Al'raht, boys, Blackhusk is goin' to make one more run to cripple their numbers then pick us up! Hold yu'r ground! Carson cover left, Booker cover right, I got the fo'rd position. Hut hut!"
"Hoo!"
"Civilian, you need to take cover! Set that peashooter where he can fight! We need all the help we can get!"
Rosey looked at Pequod, who looked miserable. His mouth was losing its rigid shape and his eyes looked heavy. But he did seem determined. Rosey, however, wouldn't have it. "He's tired! I don't know if he can be of much help now!"
The corn looked down at Pequod and shook his head. "We need him for just a little longer. When we get back to the farm we'll give him something that'll perk him right up. Not the first time I've seen this issue. Now, come on, set him down!"
Pequod's eyes told her he would be fine, but his kazoo-like moans were very weak and unassuming. Still, she knew that she'd be unable to convince any of them of thinking otherwise. She unzipped her bag, placed his flowerpot on the street, and kissed Pequod's head. "For luck." She took cover behind a rundown truck and
Pequod bounced in his flowerpot and turned to face the invaders. It was quiet except for the blackhusk overhead. But soon the zombies started pouring out of the mansion on the opposite side of the town square and charged forth with large numbers.
"Here they come! Blackhusk, make that run count!" The lead corn shouted.
Blackhusk flew overhead and blew most of the zombie horde. Some of the previous horde were already upon them. The corn soldiers fought kernel and husk, firing explosives, and shooting their cobs at the onslaught. Pequod attempted to help where he could, but he wasn't shooting as fast as he was before. He was starting to look withered and dry.
"Pequod!" Rosey called nervously. She couldn't stand seeing him like this. Blackhusk started flying overhead and placed a few shots before flying low hovering.
"Everyone on board! Move! Move! Move!" Each corn got on, Booker, picking Pequod up himself and firing one cob as he backed into Blackhusk's interior. Rosey ran and jumped into the giant corn on the cob then the husk shut, and the corn flew out of there. Booker set Pequod down next to Rosey then stepped back.
"Pequod!" Rosey tore her bandana off her head and looked at the poor wilted peashooter with worry. "Is he going to be okay?"
The cornstalk grunted. "Huh. It's like this girl's never gardened before." The corns laughed at her at first, but the laughing started to die down seeing how worried she was. Carson was the only one who seemed to not get the message until Booker hit him on the back of the head. The leader sighed. "He'll be alright. He's just de-hydrated. Mal-nourished. He used all his energy shootin' those zombies. He'll be buttered up in no time once we change the soil 'n give him some water." The corn smiled to help her feel slightly more comfortable.
She still looked worried, but also a bit wilted herself. The heavy smell of sweet corn in the air didn't help her stomach any. It let out a loud growl as she tried to not think how delicious her saviors looked and smelled.
But they seemed to understand. "Carson, give 'er som'n."
Carson saluted and stretched out his cob hand then detached on her lap. She widened her eyes. The overwhelming smell of buttered, barbequed corn was overpowering but she was scared that since she saw it lit those zombies on fire that it wouldn't be safe to eat.
"Don't worry," the normal cornstalk said, "It's just ordinary corn. At least until we fire it."
She dug right in. No other questions asked. The sweet and salty taste of the corn filled her mouth, and the wateriness teased her dehydrated throat. She couldn't keep silent about how good it tasted. How she needed the food. It hit the spot just right. But she really wanted some water. Booker offered her what looked like a juice.
"We usually use this as fuel, but to you humans it's pr'tty nu-tritious. It's cucumber water. This plane is cuclear powered."
She took it anyway. She didn't mind cucumber. In fact, she ate it with her salads all the time back then." She drank it by the gulp.
"Slowly now," the cornstalk said, stopping her from drinking too much at once. "You might puke it out if you drink it that fast."
She nodded and took mouthfuls at a time then finished her corn. She had completely forgotten about Pequod because of the food. She looked down and he was asleep in the flowerpot. She wanted to wake him to see if he was alright, but again, the corn stopped him.
"Don't. This soldier needs the break. He's earned it. I promise, we'll get him right as rain when we land. It won't be long now."
Rosey looked at each of them one by one. Just now she realized she had no idea who they were, or what. "Just, what are you exactly?"
They all straightened their backs proudly and the leader corn smirked. "Girly, we're plants of the LEAF division CORN or Combat Operations Recon Network. CORN f'r short. I'm Agent Corn. Kernel Corn the boys call me. Don't laugh, I didn' pick it. These here are, Carson and Booker. The pilot in the front who you'll meet soon is Paxton. I lead this battle-hardened group of bad grasses as you can see. And I speak for 'em. Because you wouldn' understand a word they say."
"I'm Rosemary Mortimer. I'm from California. This is… Pequod."
"Yer peashooter? Did you get 'im from the general?" Asked Kernal Corn.
She tilted her head. "General? Who's…"
"Folks call 'em Crazy Dave."
"Crazy Dave?" She echoed. She was quiet for a moment but shook her head. "No. I found him in Crazy Dave's house. I um… It's a long story. One day the house was empty, and I fell asleep. The next day… He just appeared out of thin air!"
"Uh huh…" Kernel Corn seemed to be chewing on something as she looked her in the eye. "And what brought you to that little sack 'a potatoes?" Everyone heard a little squeak. "Jus' an expression, Welby!"
Rosey sighed and hugged her legs as she started cleaning herself with her bandana and drinking some of her cucumber water. "I was… hoping to find a safe place to live. My uncle Keith lived in Suburbia. My parents and I were trying to find refuge in there… until…" Rosey's emotions overflowed. The adrenaline wearing off mixed in with the near-death-experience got to her. Booker started to pat her back. She used her bandana to clean her eyes.
"Don't worry… You don't have to continue," Kernel Corn said followed by a sigh.
Rosey looked up at Booker and gave him a smile. "Thank you." She sniffled and continue anyway. "I was hoping that if Crazy Dave was telling the truth and he did have a zombie plan then I'd be safe there with my uncle Keith… but now they're both dead…"
"Dead?" Kernel Corn burst out into a laugh. "Missy, if the general were that easy to kill we'd be goners f'r sure. No, Crazy Dave ain't dead! Neither is that neighbors of 'is! Their fine, all the Suburbians 'er fine! Yeesh!"
"They're alive!?" Rosey shot up. "Where are they! Can you tell me!? I need to find them!"
Kernel Corn made some calming motions. "Well, for that, yer gonna need to head for Dave Manor. Our HQ. You'd do well to bring Pequod with yuh. He could learn a thing or two. Especially if he's freshly grown."
"Can you take us there?" Rosey asked hopefully.
Kernel Corn shook his head. "Mm mm. Me and my boys were posted here to make sure the zombies in Zomburbia don't try and regroup with their leader, Zomboss. Fortunately, he's the only smart one in the zombie ranks, so their hopeless without him. So long as we're here, Zomburbia is on its own. Can't risk that for a minute. We'll drop you off, supply you with the required provision and a map. Then yer on yer own. Don't worry, Pequod will look after you. Just don't overwork him like that again. Play it smart. He's not strong enough to fight as long as he did today, yet! He's still got a long way to grow."
Rosey's heart sank. She had to go on her own again? This was awful news. But when she looked down at Pequod and remembered his determination, she didn't feel so bad about it anymore. With him at her back, how bad could it be?